According to mainstream Christian groups, is it the soul or the body that goes to heaven?

Question

During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said

"It is better for you to lose one member of your body that causes you to sin than have your whole body thrown into hell" (Matt 5:30b)

From the above it can be concluded that it is the body that receives life (enters heaven) or is condemned to hell.

Then the preacher Ecclesiastes said that

"who knows whether the soul of an animal goes down into the earth when it dies or the soul of a man goes upwards into the heavens when he dies" (Eccl 3:21)

Then there is the narrative of the thief on the right at the crucifixion who was told by Jesus that

"Believe me I tell you, you shall be with me in paradise today" (Luke 23:43)

Because the body of the thief was left on the cross, it is evident that it is the soul of the thief that met Jesus in paradise in addition to what was written by Ecclesiastes.

Is it the body or the soul that enters into heaven or hell?

Answer 1

The confusion here lies in an equivocation on the terms "heaven" and "hell." That is, the term heaven is used at different times to signify different states of affairs.

In mainstream Christian theology, there is a belief that there will be a resurrection of the dead at the end of time. I say this is mainstream Christian theology because it is contained within the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, which all Catholics and Orthodox Christians and many Protestant denominations profess as the general statements of their faith. There is also contained in these same creeds a belief that the Holy Dead, or Saints, are in heaven right now (and as you point out regarding the theif on the cross, Scripture also attests to this).

Now, on one understanding of heaven, we understand the Saints to be in paradise right now, and since their bodies (most of them, anyway) are still here on earth, and not in any way animated by the soul, we must logically conclude that they are in paradise soul-only, and this is the first meaning of "heaven" in this question. However, as we believe in the "resurrection of the dead" as stated in the two creeds, we believe that these Holy Dead will be raised up on the last day, reunited to their bodies, and live in their bodies in a heavenly state forever, and this is the second meaning of "heaven" in this question. So, when you ask whether the body or the soul will go to heaven, the mainstream answer is both, though at different times.

Answer 2

Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:27-30 single out adulterers, persons who lust after what is not theirs. When he says “If your right eye causes you to sin” he means looking lustfully after a woman. When he says “if your right hand causes you to sin” Jesus is still talking about committing adultery, which is a sin.

Outside of Jerusalem was the valley of Hinnom where the bodies of murderers and criminals were thrown to be consumed by the flames.

The word gehenna is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew ge-hinnom, meaning “Valley of [the sons of] Hinnom.” In later years, Gehenna continued to be an unclean place used for burning trash from the city of Jerusalem. Jesus used Gehenna as an illustration of hell. The Gehenna Valley was a place of burning sewage, burning flesh, and garbage. Maggots and worms crawled through the waste, and the smoke smelled strong and sickening (Isaiah 30:33). It was a place utterly filthy, disgusting, and repulsive to the nose and eyes. Gehenna presented such a vivid image that Christ used it as a symbolic depiction of hell: a place of eternal torment and constant uncleanness, where the fires never ceased burning and the worms never stopped crawling (Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:47–48). https://www.gotquestions.org/Gehenna.html

In Matthew 10:28 Jesus went on to say that we should not fear those who are capable of killing the body, but to be afraid of Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell (Gehennah). As for the human soul, Ecclesiastes 12:7 says that our dead bodies return to dust, there to remain in the earth, but the spirit returns to God. https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-verses-about-the-soul.html

After Jesus died, it was His body that was buried in the tomb. However, Jesus’ spirit/soul was not in the tomb. Jesus’ spirit was in the Father’s presence (Luke 23:46; Ephesians 4:8).

When Jesus was dying on the cross and one of the thieves being crucified with Him asked Him for mercy, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus knew that His death was imminent and that He would soon be in heaven with His Father. Therefore, Jesus used “paradise” as a synonym for “heaven.” The apostle Paul wrote of someone (probably himself) who “was caught up to paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:3). In this context, paradise obviously refers to heaven.

Both paradise [heaven] and hell are “temporary holding places” until the day when Jesus Christ comes back to judge the world based on whether or not individuals have believed in Him. The first resurrection is of believers who will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive rewards based on meritorious service to Him. The second resurrection will be that of unbelievers who will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment of God. At that point, all will be sent to their eternal destination—the wicked to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), and the righteous to a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21—22). https://www.gotquestions.org/paradise.html

You ask if it is the body or the soul that enters into heaven or hell. According to mainstream Christianity, the body goes into the ground and returns to dust. The human soul awaits the resurrection when those whose names are written in the book of life are clothed with glorified bodies, bodies fit to spend eternity in heaven. Our example is Christ Jesus, who was resurrected with a glorified body and ascended into heaven and even now is seated at the right hand of God.